This quick write-up covers where to go offroading near Richmond, Virginia, as well as where to find the closest offroad trails for Richmond, VA. 

If you have lived in Richmond for awhile then you know what the offroad trails landscape looks like there…zilch. And if you are new to the Richmond area and love to go offroading, then I hate to break it to you but you are going to have to put some miles in on the pavement first. Unfortunately, Richmond is like alot of the East Coast of VA in the sense that there are not alot of legal wheeling spots available, if there are any. Good news is that you won’t have to leave the state to get your tires dirty. Below we will quickly (so you can get out on the trails) cover where you can head to get some offroading time in. 

The closest spot to find some offroad trails is about 2 hours away from Richmond and 1 hour from Charlottesville up near Stuarts Draft and just pass Wintergreen. There is a cluster of offroad trails up here located in the George Washington National Forest including Shoe Creek Trail, which connects over to Crabtree Falls, and is a short trail with several different stream crossings and rock obstacles you can mess with. Crabtree Falls Trail as well as Shoe Creek, are good day trails and can be accomplished by moderate to high skill levels. The Crabtree trail consists of deep wash outs, off-camber obstacles, creek crossings, steep steps up and down along the trail as well as several rocks and boulders to conquer along the way. Although both of these offroad trails are popular, the most popular trail by far up this way (and one I am sure you have heard of before) is the Bald Mountain Jeep Trail. The Bald Mtn Jeep Trail has become very popular in the last coupe of years, probably because it can also be driven by beginners and the tight spots are Jeep owners strong points. The trail will take about 3 hours to complete and is not that difficult, although there are several tight spots along the trail where you cannot turn back around until you get farther up the trail. Half way up the trail near Coal Rd. there is a technical part that lasts about 500 yards where you can test out your rig and your skills. Note that this trail is open to the general public and busy so be prepared to have visitors and possibly have to wait along the trail. 

Another popular offroad trail in Virginia is Flagpole Knob which lies in the Allegheny Mountains about 20 minutes outside of Harrisonburg, VA. Flagpole Knob is mostly a rocky road with a few water holes, some washed out sections, and quite a few areas to play in as well as some steep grades. The trail is gravel for a short distance, but quickly changes to the rocky trail. There is a portion of the trail where there is a long hill climb that consists of some nice rock obstacles. This trail is nothing too daunting, but a 4WD vehicle with high clearance is strongly recommended. You can learn more about this trail and access directions to it from Harrisonburg in the trail link above.

Out West near Roanoke, VA you have another cluster of offroad trails located in the Jefferson National Forest. The most popular and probably the best trail out this way is Potts Mountain Jeep Trail. This is another widely popular offroad trail in Virginia. This trail is considered moderate, but you need to have some skills and experience dealing with rocks and boulders because most of this trail is a rocky climb up and then back down.  This is probably one of the more serious trails in VA and definitely not for stock vehicles. If you have 33s then you will absolutely need a winch (like this one here) and a friend. I would recommend not visiting until you have 35s and lockers and would also suggest rock sliders cause if you don’t have them then you will come away with body damage. Also note if it is rainy or has recently snowed then this trail upgrades to high experience due to the climb back down. Don’t want to scare you off just make sure to go with people and the right equipment and plan on the trail taking about 6 hours in good conditions. As if the fun of Potts Mountain wasn’t enough to make the drive out toward Roanoke worth it, there are also several other offroad trails near Flagpole including: Boblett Gap, Eagle Rock, and Broad Run/Stone Coal Road trails. You can find all of these offroad trails and information about them for free on the Where2Wheel Map. 

Last but not least, you can drive South all the way passed Virginia Beach and head down to the Outer Banks for some beach driving at Carova Beach. Now I know this one is technically not located in Virginia, but it is not far pass the border and an option if you want to just get your toes wet with some beach driving. Beware that if it has just recently rained, this place quickly jumps from beginner level to expert due to all the water crossings on the back roads from flooding. I once saw a lifted Jeep Wrangler just driving down the trail and then attempt to go through a flooded section and just disappear. The entire Jeep got submerged and we all stood there in shock as their groceries floated away, so you have been warned! 

Hope this quick overview of offroad trails near Richmond, Virginia gets you off the pavement and out on the trails. Free free to check out the Where2Wheel community here as well as the W2W Map for more trail information – both are free to use and register.

Happy Wheeling! 

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